2:1 And now, Jacob, I speak unto you: Thou art my
first-born in the days of my tribulation in the
wilderness. And behold, in thy childhood thou hast
suffered afflictions and much sorrow, because of the
rudeness of thy brethren.

2:2 Nevertheless, Jacob, my first-born in the
wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he
shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.

2:3 Wherefore, thy soul shall be blessed, and thou
shalt dwell safely with thy brother, Nephi; and thy days
shall be spent in the service of thy God. Wherefore, I
know that thou art redeemed, because of the righteousness
of thy Redeemer; for thou hast beheld that in the 1fulness
of time he cometh to bring salvation unto men.

[1] Galatians 4:4-5: But when the fulness of the
time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman,
made under the law...to redeem them...

2:4 And thou hast beheld in thy youth his glory;
wherefore, thou art blessed even as they unto whom he
shall minister in the flesh; for the 1Spirit
is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. And the way
is prepared from the fall of man, and salvation is free.

[1] Hebrews 13:8: Jesus Christ the same yesterday,
and to day, and for ever.

2:5 And men are instructed sufficiently that they
know good from evil. And the law is given unto men. 1And by
the law no flesh is justified; or, by the law men are cut
off. Yea, by the temporal law they were cut off; and
also, by the spiritual law they perish from that which is
good, and become miserable forever.

[1] Romans 3:20: Therefore by the deeds of the law
there shall no flesh be justified in his sight...

2:6 Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the
Holy Messiah; for he is 1full of grace and truth.

2:7 Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for
sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who
have a 1broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto
none else can the ends of the law be answered.

[1] Psalms
51:17: The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
a broken and a contrite heart...

2:8 Wherefore, how great the importance to make
these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth,
that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell
in the presence of God, save it be through the merits,
and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who 1layeth
down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again
by the 2power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass
the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should
rise.

[1] John 10:17: ...I lay down my life, that I
might take it again.
[2] I Peter 3:18: ...being put to death in the
flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

2:9 Wherefore, 1he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he
shall make 2intercession for all the children of men; and
they that believe in him shall be saved.

2:10 And because of the intercession for all, all
men come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence
of him, to be judged of him according to the truth and
holiness which is in him. Wherefore, the ends of the law
which the Holy One hath given, unto the inflicting of the
punishment which is affixed, which punishment that is
affixed is in opposition to that of the happiness which
is affixed, to answer the ends of the atonement--

2:11 For it must needs be, that there is an
opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the
wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass,
neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither
good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a
compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it
must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death,
nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery,
neither sense nor insensibility.

2:12 Wherefore, it must needs have been created for
a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no
purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing
must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal
purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the
justice of God.

2:13 And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall
also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no
sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if
there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if
there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no
punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there
is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the
earth; for there could have been no creation of things,
neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all
things must have vanished away.

2:14 And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things
for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he
hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth,
and all things that in them are, both things to act and
things to be acted upon.

2:15 And to bring about his eternal purposes in the
end of man, after he had created our first parents, and
the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and in
fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that
there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in
opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and
the other bitter.

2:16 Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he
should act for himself. Wherefore, man could not act for
himself save it should be that he was enticed by the one
or the other.

2:17 And I, Lehi, according to the things which I
have read, must needs suppose that an angel of God,
according to that which is written, had fallen from
heaven; wherefore, he became a devil, having sought that which was evil before God.

2:18 And because he had fallen from heaven, and had
become miserable forever, he sought also the misery of
all mankind. Wherefore, he said unto Eve, yea, 1even
that old serpent, who is the devil, 2who is the father of all lies, wherefore he
said: Partake of the 3forbidden fruit, and ye shall not die, but ye
shall be as God, knowing good and evil.

[1] Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was cast
out, that old serpent, called the Devil...
[2] John 8:44 Ye are of your father the
devil...he is a liar, and the father of it.
[3] The phrase "forbidden fruit" is not found
in the Bible, but it a fairly popular English
expression.

2:19 And after Adam and Eve had partaken of the
forbidden fruit they were driven out of the garden of
Eden, to till the earth.

2:20 And they have brought forth children; yea, even
the family of all the earth.

2:21 And the days of the children of men were
prolonged, according to the will of God, that they might
repent while in the flesh; wherefore, their state became
a state of probation, and their time was lengthened,
according to the commandments which the Lord God gave
unto the children of men. For he gave commandment that
all men must repent; for he showed unto all men that they
were lost, because of the transgression of their parents.

2:22 And now, behold, if Adam had not transgressed
he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in
the garden of Eden. And all things which were created
must have remained in the same state in which they were
after they were created; and they must have remained
forever, and had no end.

2:23 And they would have had no children; wherefore
they would have remained in a state of innocence, having
no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they
knew no sin.

2:24 But behold, all things have been done in the
wisdom of him who knoweth all things.

2:25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that
they might have joy.

2:26 And the Messiah cometh in the 1fulness
of time, that he may redeem the children of men from the
fall. And because that they are redeemed from the fall
they have become free forever, knowing good from evil; to
act for themselves and not to be acted upon, save it be
by the punishment of the law at the great and last day,
according to the commandments which God hath given.

[1] Galatians 4:4-5: But when the fulness of the
time was come, God sent forth his Son...To redeem them
that were under the law...

2:27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh;
and all things are given them which are expedient unto
man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal
life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose
captivity and death, according to the captivity and power
of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable
like unto himself.

2:28 And now, my sons, I would that ye should look
to the great Mediator, and hearken unto his great
commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose
eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit;

2:29 And not choose eternal death, according to the
will of the flesh and the evil which is therein, which
giveth the spirit of the devil power to
captivate, to bring you down to hell, that he may reign
over you in his own kingdom.

2:30 I have spoken these few words unto you all, my
sons, in the last days of my probation; and I have 1chosen
the good part, according to the words of the prophet. And
I have none other object save it be the everlasting
welfare of your souls. Amen.